[Continued from Tuesday 30th July 1963]

The postman duly called this morning but it was nearly 9:30 a.m. but we were glad to see him and receive your letter. Poor Susan – what has she been up to now? Query overdoing the party on Saturday. That was a good do apparently and father and mother had a hectic time. Should like to have peeped in on them and also at the school sports. Good for Carol getting near the front in one race. Wonder if you went to Horsenden Hill after all. I expect there were hundreds there trying to enjoy the summer weather.

Yes in spite of the hot spell the grass continues to grow fast and I had to give ours another cut last weekend. Today I have been trying to trim on one of the hedges around the lawn but it was very hot work and most of it has been left for another day.

I think you must have had a very good time at the sports even if the competitors were so young. More enjoyment perhaps than with older runners. Noted Susan has a lot to get hold of in the Brownies but it should do her good. I’m enclosing a cutting from last night’s paper for her showing some Brownies having a paddle at Weston.

Noted Mr Gray now at home and that you were able to provide power for visits while he was in hospital. They got me out of bed day after operation and had it not been I was having a second for another purpose I should have been home just as quickly. Our kind regards to him (and Mrs Gray and family) and we hope he will soon recover normal health.

Your agapanthus should be left to die back naturally and then cut off the dead flower. Never mind about a cutting this time – you have done well to get a flower so early.

Note Unwin’s home town or village. Had never heard of it before. For really nice of him to bring in a little surplus of vegetables. How long does it take him to do the journey to and from Liverpool Street?*

Your typing quite all right Alex – as long as we can read it mistakes do not matter. The only typing I do of course is the weekly letter to you and the less frequent ones to Don and Geoff so I am not so hot on the machine.

No sign of loganberry wine yet – Mum picks them too often for stewing and we both enjoy them like this.

Hope your photos will turn out all right and don’t forget to bring camera with you on the 15th prox. When I write Don later this week I will make Wednesday 21st August for our afternoon visit there. How would you like to go via Long Sutton and Pitney** station that day? You have seen it once but perhaps June would like to see where we lived once upon a time. Always weather permitting of course and the condition of the girls.

You do not mention Mrs Baker this letter so perhaps with your big party on the Saturday you did not manage a visit during the weekend. Yes we guessed you would wish to call on the Benns’ at Weston some time during your stay here and as you say this can be arranged by phone after you get here.

Surprised you have not heard from Geoff as he said when here at Whitsun he would get in touch with you soon and mentioned something about a visit of you all to them. There was no news of Rebecca’s examination result when he last wrote us.

What a lovely prospect of a sea trip to Holland. Quite understand it is all very private just now.***

Noted the lean-to not yet arrived and no information as to delivery date. What happens if it turns up when you are away? You will certainly want to get on with it soon after your return from here.

This afternoon we saw the Town Surveyor and his henchman arrive and go into Cornish’e’s where they stopped for two or three hours. Heels were away in the car for a day out so we do not know what has transpired. Heard this week that he (Cornish) is still running around saying he’s not going to sign – this in spite of what I mentioned on previous page. What a man!

Assume the girls have broken up for the holidays now and that June has them all day long to keep her busy.

Thanks for the Eastcote gardening bulletins Alec – useful information in them. How is the broadcasting going on? Or is it too hot up under the roof these days? We have our bedroom windows wide open at night and can hear the tide moving over the other side of the sea wall. The atmosphere is very close though until round about 2 a.m.

A fortnight tomorrow will see you on the move in this direction but it is too much to expect this weather to last. Perhaps if it is a little cooler it would be more enjoyable.

No more now. All our love to you both and lots lots of kisses for the girls. Mum and Dad. 

*A train from Ipswich to Liverpool Street takes about an hour and ten minutes at the present time, and absent a few very notable exceptions (HSTs etc.) railway travel in the UK in general probably took about the same amount of time in the 1960s that it does now. There is no station at Copdock, though, so Unwin would have had to find his way to the station in Ipswich – and he was probably able to do this by bus. If he was also able to do some work on the train and/or eat his breakfast while in transit, this doesn’t seem a particularly onerous arrangement – especially given that he would have had a free travel pass and thus got to and from his home for only the minimal cost of his busfare to the station.

**Back in the distant past various relatives were employed at Long Sutton and Pitney, although I have yet to work out which ones. It was generally known in the family as ‘Long Suffering and Pity Me’, although whether it was generally considered a miserable posting, or it was just a convenient name, I have no further information.

***I admire Leonard’s optimism, but back and forth across the Channel repeatedly for a fortnight on a ferry in October doesn’t sound like a tremendously attractive prospect: a single crossing on a nice day might be good fun, but constantly heaving about on the ocean with noise, smells, other passengers and unreliable food would be my idea of Hell, quite frankly, and I would personally be going as far in the other direction as I could! N.B. journey time in 2023 is a little under seven hours, so presumably one would work through one and sleep through the other each day???